Find a feature

Some games are upfront about their morally dubious nature, but others pretend to be innocent while  hiding their corrupting content inside sinister subtext. Join us as we blow the lid on that whole den of depravity.

If you examine the history of console gaming, from its nascent years on low-end computers to the present, you’ll find one strange constant: Santa Claus. Much more than just another holiday mascot who gets rolled out once a year to irritate us with awful ads and horrible dancing toys, Santa is a beloved-enough icon to have appeared in seemingly dozens of videogames (not to mention books and movies) that persist long after Christmas is over

In the context of a game, Achievements and Trophies are harmless. They're just carrot-dangling tactics that we're happy to indulge for our greedy pursuit of intangible virtual rewards. We wouldn't think twice about nail-bombing a kitten orphanage if it meant five more gamer points.

But, let's say, purely for the purposes of this here article, that we take Achievements and Trophies out of their virtual world settings and reconsider them

We have a stellar lineup of recently released or significantly updated iPad games this week, notably the long-awaited native release of NBA Jam, as well as Bunny the Zombie Slayer, the egg-flinging iOS debut of Hothead Games (Deathspank, Swarm). Also up this week is the excellent side-scrolling Super Stickman Golf, the unexpected (and free) nostalgia burst that is Inspector Gadget's MAD Dash HD, and finally SplitApple, a game that cribs the look and feel of Wii Sports Resort's archery game with very solid results...

So what would happen if amoral Balkan sociopath Niko Bellic was in everyone's favourite cute and cuddly cartoon racer? Would Mario and chums accept him into the line-up with grace and humility? Would Niko keep the lid on all his murderous rage when Yoshi was firing red shells up his tailpipe? Of course, not. This is what would happen if the worlds of Liberty City and the Mushroom Kingdom clashed...

And that got us thinking. What

The news that Shadow of the Colossus is being turned into a movie – penned by the scribe behind Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li – has made us inconsolable. With the translation from hell about to mangle Sony’s ethereal adventure beyond recognition, all bets are off over what Hollywood’s going to do with videogame properties next. In fact, we’re completely convinced some cynical suits are about to turn our

The news that Shadow of the Colossus is being turned into a movie – penned by the scribe behind Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li – has made us inconsolable. With the translation from hell about to mangle Sony’s ethereal adventure beyond recognition, all bets are off over what Hollywood’s going to do with videogame properties next. In fact, we’re completely convinced some cynical suits are about to turn our

Composers in games are always the bloody bridesmaids. While Kojima, Clifford Bleszinski the Third and Shigeru Miyamoto lap up all the credits, complimentary hookers and free mini muffin baskets, the men and women behind their games' epic music go unnoticed.

Steven Spielberg famously said that composer John Williams' score in Jaws was responsible for 50% of the movie's success. And when you consider the iconic tunes from Super Mario Bros. or Shadow of the Colossus' sweeping score, it's hard to underestimate the impact a well composed soundtrack can have on a title. That's why we're giving some of gaming's finest composers the long overdue recognition they deserve.

In the context of a game, Achievements and Trophies are harmless. They're just carrot-dangling tactics that we're happy to indulge for our greedy pursuit of intangible virtual rewards. We wouldn't think twice about nail-bombing a kitten orphanage if it meant five more gamer points.

But, let's say, purely for the purposes of this here article, that we take Achievements and Trophies out of their virtual world settings and reconsider them